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The mighty
, hardy and
courageous
Prometheus from
ancient Greek myth is a
Titan, the
son
of
Iapetus and
Themis,
brother to
Atlas,
Epimetheus and
Menoetius.
The
name
Prometheus means “forethought”, and reminds that
passion for
destiny can have
many glittering sparkles on
the waves, as well as hurdles to
bounce over and
through, bringing balance of desire and
solution.
Prometheus
is a champion of Spirit, an
enduring
personality with wily intelligence who took the
sacred
Fire of Zeus and gave it to the mortals.
Zeus then
punished him for his crime by having him
bound to a rock
while a great eagle ate his liver every day only to have
it grow back to be eaten again the next day, a
cycle of
punishment.
After
Prometheus' theft of fire,
Zeus sent
Pandora into the
mortal world in retaliation. Despite
Prometheus'
warning,
Epimetheus accepted this “gift” from the gods.
Pandora carried a
jar with her, from which were released
“evils,
harsh pain and
troublesome diseases which give
men death”.
Pandora shut the lid of the jar
too late to
contain all the evil plights that escaped, but
hope
remained in the jar, to bring
fortune at times of
great
hardship.
Prometheus Bound, written by the mystical playwright
Aeschylus, is the most famous story of the myth
contained within Greek tragedy. Before his theft of
fire,
Prometheus
played a decisive role in the
Titanomachy, the
war of the Titans, by securing
victory
for
Zeus and the other
Olympians. Zeus's torture of
Prometheus becomes a cowardly betrayal.
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“Just as
Aeschylus gave Prometheus a key role in
bringing Zeus to power, he also attributed
to him secret knowledge that could lead to
Zeus' downfall: Prometheus had been told by
his mother Gaia of a potential marriage that
would produce a son who would overthrow
Zeus. Evidence indicates that Heracles frees
the Titan in the trilogy's second play,
Prometheus Unbound. It is apparently not
until Prometheus reveals this secret of
Zeus' potential downfall that the two
reconcile in the final play, Prometheus the
Fire Bringer.” |
During the journeys of
Heracles contained within his
twelve tasks, trial number
eleven was to retrieve three
of the golden apples guarded by the
Hesperides. This was
a most difficult challenge as the
garden of the
Hesperides was located in a secret place. After a scuff
with
Nereus, Heracles finally
divulged the garden’s
location.
Along
the way,
Heracles met
Prometheus and freed him from his
sordid torture. In gratitude,
Prometheus gave
Heracles
the advice to seek the help of
Atlas to retrieve the
golden apples.
Life
reminds that no matter what trials and
tribulations one
journeys through, the path always ends on
lightness,
on Victory! Just like stepping into a
tornado, there is
ordeal and
perseverance through
chaotic disturbance.
Peace
and serenity are found in the centre of the
enveloping charm of Gaia.
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